NBA Pick and roll: Today`s best bets

Did you see Steve Nash last night? If there were any questions he was the right choice for league MVP last season they were answered in the Suns` win over the Miami Heat.

Whirling, ducking and cutting all over the court, the 6-foot-3 guard finished with 21 points, six rebounds and his 14 assists helped four other Suns finish in double figures.

But it was one play late in the fourth quarter with Miami trying desperately to close the lead that was the true cap on a sublime performance.

Going left off a high screen, the 5-foot-10 guard cut towards the hoop. Then with a 340-pound behemoth Shaquille O’Neal closing in, the 180-pound Nash launched a 10-foot floater just before the big man crashed into him.

Swish. And one. Game over as the Suns walked out with a 107-98 victory as 6 ½-point underdogs.

Now they go into Atlanta tonight as only 6–point faves. Guess Nash still has some doubters.

In five games since Francis returned from a team imposed two-game ban, Turkoglu has averaged over 22 points per game, nine points more than his season average.

But it’s not just Turkoglu. The entire Magic team is playing better, winning and covering five straight games and scoring over 100 points in four of the five.

“I think the key to the win streak is people going through a lot of drama like we were and then just finally saying, `Let`s just push that all aside,” said forward Pat Garrity after the Magic’s 119-115 overtime win in Philadelphia last night. “Sometimes a little adversity brings people closer together and maybe that`s the case here.”

The Miami Heat have not played up to expectations after a huge offseason makeover on a team that came within one game of the NBA Championships a year ago.

Miami is just 25-18 on the season, 0-6 against the league’s top four teams (the Suns, Pistons, Spurs and Mavericks), and the Heat have not shown any more signs of contending under Pat Riley than they did under Stan Van Gundy.

So the Heat need to get things going. And what better place to start than a thumping of the weak Charlotte Bobcats tonight?

The Bobcats have lost nine straight games and have failed to cover such lofty spreads as 16 points against Detroit, 15 ½ versus the San Antonio Spurs and 10 ½ points against the Houston Rockets.

Bettors should check on the status of Miami’s Dwyane Wade. The Heat guard rolled his ankle twice in last night’s loss and although he told the Palm Beach Post he “should play tonight,” he may not be at full strength.

With playoff implications on the line, expect tight, low-scoring game between these two teams with hot goaltenders...

My free play is on Florida/Boston Under at 7:00 ET.

Boston has rebounded from a six-game losing streak by winning two games in a row after its 2-1 win in Carolina on Sunday. The Bruins return home where the Bruins are holding their opponents to only 2.3 goals per game which is a bit better than their 2.6 goals per game that they are giving up overall this season. Much of this improved play keeping the puck out of the net needs to be credited to goaltender Tuukka Rask who has been outstanding in front of his home fans this season. Rask owns a strong 2.04 goals against average along with a sizzling .930 save percentage when at home. The Bruins are clinging to the eighth and final spot in the Eastern Conference playoff hunt three points ahead of Ottawa and four points ahead of this Panthers team so the stakes remain very high for this veteran team. Rask may very well be playing his better goaltending at this point of the season as well. In his previous 12 starts this month, Rask has a 2.15 goals against average along with a .932 save percentage.

Florida has won four of its last six games as the Panthers make a late push to make the playoffs with their 4-2 win in Ottawa on Sunday. The Panthers stay on the road for this contest where they have seen the under go 7-3-3 in their last 13 contests away from home. The under is also 9-2-1 in their last 12 trips to Boston to face their Atlantic Division rivals. Florida's improved play as of late has much to do with the team’s improved play on defense as Florida is allowing only 2.2 goals per game over the last five games which is a significant improvement over its 2.7 goals per game seasonal average. Goaltender Roberto Luongo shook off a slow start this season to be the goalie the Panthers were hoping he would be when acquiring him in the offseason. Luongo has a 2.33 goals against average along with a .921 save percentage this year. Luongo has also heated up for Florida's playoff chase late this season as he owns a red hot 1.79 goals against average along with a .932 save percentage in his six starts this month. With playoff implications on the line, expect tight, low-scoring game between these two teams with hot goaltenders. Take the under.

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